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This is an archive article published on March 30, 2022
Amid hijab ban, 40 Muslim girls skip pre-university examination in Udupi
The absentees include the two students fighting a legal battle against the ban on the headscarf. They had boycotted the practical examinations as well
Muslim women gather for a meeting to protest against a recent court verdict that upheld the ban on wearing hijab in schools in neighboring Karnataka, in Kochi, Kerala (AP /RS Iyer, file)
At least 40 Muslim girls in Udupi, including the two who are fighting a legal battle against the hijab ban, skipped the first pre-university examinations in Karnataka.
The absentees in the communally sensitive district on Tuesday included 24 girls from Kundapur and 14 from Byndoor. The two petitioners, from Udupi Government Girls Pre-University College, had boycotted the practical examinations also.
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The Karnataka High Court on March 15 dismissed their petitions seeking permission to wear the headscarf in class, saying that wearing it was not an essential practice in Islam. The court also ruled the uniforms and dress codes should be strictly followed in educational institutions.
At RN Shetty Pre-University College, 13 out of the 28 Muslim girl students appeared for the examination. Though some students reached the examination centre wearing the hijab, they were not allowed to take the exam.
Four of the five Muslim girls appeared for the examination at Bhandarkar’s College, as did all the girl students of Basrur Sharada College. Six of the eight Muslim girls of Navunda Government Pre-University College abstained from the examination.
However, sources said that some private colleges in the district allowed students wearing the hijab to sit for the examination.
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Maruti, deputy director of pre-university department, told The Indian Express, “Some of the students have abstained from the examination. We have been trying to convince students and their parents.”
An official said the government officials were trying to convince students that the court order was applicable only to colleges that disallow the headscarf as part of dress codes or uniforms. But the students and their parents are deeply hurt by the incidents that took place in the district, he added.
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